Big Ben's bonuses and the cap....

[The JoKeR]

Considering Big Ben has probably hit every incentive in his contract (except a SB win), do these number effect the cap and if so...how much? I don't really keep track of the cap too much, but I do know that the Steelers usually don't have ALOT of room to work with.

[augustashark]

Very good question. I was wondering the samething. Does not matter though he is worth every penny!

[WWIIOwheelz]

Doesn't count towards the cap

[Statik]

a bonus is just that-----a bonus....not considered part of your 'yearly salary' (yet it's taxed with it....gaaah)

[clevestinks]

Incentive bonuses do not count! Thats why the 49ers got away with bullcrap bonuses for years

[WWIIOwheelz]

Don't know.

The bonuses I always hear about are based on seasonal accomplishments, i.e. getting team to playoffs, getting to Superbowl, leading league in categories, 1000 yards rushing/receiving, # of TDs, etc.. That's not tied to normal payroll.

The salary cap is based entirely on payroll. All signing bonuses, incentives, everything is just that--- however much the team can afford.

[Dook]

Mr. Rooney came up with the current salary cap plan that the NFL uses so he knows how to work it.

Some bonus' count against the cap. Signing bonus', those bonus that are likely to be earned.

This year we are $1m below the cap which essentially means that we have spent everything we could when you count in the bonus' that were likely to be earned (were earned) by Ben and other players. Also we may not actually be $1m below now since there have been some player changes (Nate Washington) during the season.

Players salaries are backloaded, meaning a player getting a four year contract is paid like this:

signing bonus-$2m
year 1 salary-$1m
year 2 salary-$1.5m
year 3 salary-$2m
year 4 salary-$3m

Because of this we will be over the salary cap at the beginning of each new season, exactly how much is tough to say. I'm guessing we are going to be somewhere around $10 million over next season.

The signing bonus is spread over the term of the contract so the $2m SB counts for $500k against the salary cap.

If a player is cut the team immediately has the remainder of the signing bonus count against the cap, unless they cut him after June 1st, then it is spread out over the remainder of the contract.

The cap does go up each year depending on a complicated factor of how much teams earn but that amount is mostly used to sign our draft picks.

We need to sign Taylor, Von Oelhoffen, Batch, Hope, Randel El, Townsend (he's gone anyway), Haynes, and more so really we need to make A LOT of salary cap room.

So we have no choice but to cut the fat. I would cut these players post June 1st:

Hartings, saves us $4m next year.
Porter, saves about $5m.
Morey, saves $500k.
Colclough, saves $780k
Maddox, saves $1.3m

Before you cry about cutting Porter please post your way to keep him and make it under the cap...

A good Steelers salary cap page:
http://www.burghsportsguys.com/home/...d=13&Itemid=35

[Dook]

Maybe the situation is not quite as dire as I thought.

Bettis retiring saves, $2.5m
I think Gildon contract will finally be off our cap, saves $2.5m
I think Chad Scott will finally be off our cap, saves $1.8m

Losing Townsend saves $1.5m.
Losing Randel El saves $688k.

[Suitanim]

As far as Ben goes, his salary and bonuses from last year effect the team at a reduced rate. I don't remember the exact terminology, but the league has a policy of expected incentives that will be hit and those that aren't expected, and the cap hit is reduced for the latter. Last year, Ben's huge bonuses were unexpected, so the whole thing didn't count as much against this years cap. I'm pretty sure we won't get any relief for next year, but as many have pointed out, we will be clearing some cap room, so no worries.

[Dook]

Originally Posted by Suitanim

I'm pretty sure we won't get any relief for next year, but as many have pointed out, we will be clearing some cap room, so no worries.

There are a lot of ex-players (Gildon, Gibson, Battaglia? and more) who were paid in 2005 money that counted against the salary cap. The total of their money is $4.6m and Bettis retirement frees up another $2.5m so we may only be around $3 million over the cap.

I was wrong about Hartings, he costs $4.2m to keep and $3.6m to release him so there's not much benefit to letting him go.

Consider the signings we have to make:
Kimo-wants a raise, give him a 3yr contract
Hope, deserves a long term contract
Taylor, deserves a long term contract
Tuman, 2 or 3 year contract for same money he makes now
Harrison, deserves a huge raise

It also depends on whether Townsend and Randel El depart, if they stay it's probably a done deal that we lose Joey.

Also I doubt the Steelers will spend all of the cap raise ($11m) on draft picks.

I just hope we play this smart so we can sign Parker and have future room for Polo and Ben in a few years.